Construction skills shortages in the North East are putting the region’s biggest housing and infrastructure programmes at risk, according to RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors).

The organisation’s latest quarterly Construction Market Survey shows 61% of construction professionals in the North East have reported wage rises.

Average construction earnings, meanwhile, rose by more than 6% in the year to October, 2015 – significantly above the average UK wage rise of under 2%.

But labour shortages were reported by 46% of North East construction professionals to be the most significant barrier to growth in the last quarter of the year, with 62% of survey respondents reporting a shortage of quantity surveyors and 48% highlighting a lack of bricklayers.

Despite these labour shortages, however, the level of construction taking place in the North East remains relatively steady, with 35% of the region’s constructional professionals reporting a rise in workloads, and 57% saying they expect their workloads to grow over the next 12 months; the private commercial and private housing sectors continue to be the key drivers of activity in the region.

Furthermore, net lending to the sector fell by a further £274m in the three months to November, and 64% of respondents highlighted continuing issues around financial constraints.

Around 30% of construction professionals in the North East, however, expect their profit margins to rise over the year to come.

Chairman of the RICS North East Quantity Surveying Group, Mark Kearney of Keepmoat, said: “While workloads are still growing at a relatively healthy pace, labour shortages in our region’s construction sector are causing delays at different stages in the development process and leading to significant problems with project planning, all of which is proving an impediment to growth.

“That said, industry wages are becoming increasingly attractive, and I would hope that over time this will encourage skilled workers to return to the sector, as well as encourage school leavers and graduates to pursue one of the many challenging and rewarding roles in the construction industry.”

Last year, RICS launched the Inclusive Employer Quality Mark, which asks firms to commit to improving in several key areas, including adopting better recruitment practices to attract new employees from under-represented groups such as women and those with disabilities.